A switch may include a push button or a key. The button or key may drive an actuator structure, so as to connect or interrupt a connection between a movable contact and a stationary contact, thereby realizing switching of a circuit. The switch may be structurally simple. The switch may be applied to a broad range of applications and may be a master electrical device. With the development of science and technology, different types of switching apparatuses such as optical-sensing switches, micro switches, push-button switches, and thermo-sensing switches have been developed in recent years to suit different intended uses and functions. For electronic devices or computer peripherals such as keyboards for personal computers, laptops or other low-profile input devices, membrane-based switches are widely used in the key assemblies. The structure of membrane keyboards may allow for a minimal travel distance of the keys on the keyboard. While some variants of the membrane keyboard may be able to offer a tactile feel when the keys are pressed, membrane keyboards are still not able to offer audible response, i.e. the “click sound” that mechanical keyboards provide. The tactile feedback from a membrane keyboard is also generally not as satisfactory as the tactile feedback from a mechanical keyboard. The ON and OFF states of the membrane keyboard may be known to a user generally only via visual effects. On the other hand, mechanical switches such as those used in mechanical keyboards, are still widely used in a variety of simple switches due to their ability to provide accurate energy conversion control. However, mechanical switches may suffer from elastic fatigue after prolonged usage.
As such, there is a need for a new type of key assembly that may overcome the shortcomings of the existing key assemblies such as the membrane-switch key assembly and the mechanical-switch key assembly.